Light and darkness
by Orangecupcakes
Summary: The reason for Dark's existence is to kill the hero of time, but instead Link saves him from death. Dark grows to trust and even love the hero, swearing to watch over his descendants after he's gone, despite the shadow's bitterness and jealousy.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the Legend of Zelda

Dark Link stared at the wall. That was all there was to do here. He'd been trapped in this room for his whole life, with nothing but a dead tree and occasional fish to keep him company. He was tired of eating fish. The room seemed endless but it was practically empty. He was bored, beyond bored. And lately, strange things had been happening to him. Dark had been in this room for 7 years and recently some invisible being kept hurting him. It would happen suddenly. One minute he was minding his own business, sitting in his tree and the next it felt like a knife had stabbed him and there was always blood. He didn't know what to do about it. He was sure that there wasn't any ghosts around. Why would they wait 7 years to torment him? Maybe it was Ganon? That would seem like the kind of thing he'd do, just for entertainment. Dark never liked his creator, especially as he had locked the shadow in this cursed water temple to await his double. Dark's one mission, his reason for life, was to kill the hero. Then he would be set free. Kill someone who he had never met, that was all. Defeat the light with darkness. A small price to pay for his freedom. After all this hero would have killed countless other things, not humans but still the thought made Dark feel slightly better about his task ahead. Try as he might he couldn't be completely bad; he was after all the shadow of the hero of time. He wondered what the hero was doing now. He was close, Dark could feel it. He hid inside a shadow near the tree, waiting for the hero of legends to arrive.

The temple walls were damp to touch. Which was to be expected, this was a water temple after all. Link carefully made his way through the temple in complete silence and concentration, apart from Navi's occasionally pointing out the obvious for him. Still, she was a good friend so he forgave her for this. She was only trying to be helpful after all, even if it did get on his nerves after a while. Concentration was needed in a temple like this. It was one big puzzle and hard to navigate without getting confused once or twice.

"You're lost again aren't you?" Navi said as they entered a very familiar looking room.

"No, I know where I'm going." Link kept on walking, determined to prove Navi wrong. Although this room did actually look very familiar.

"Link, we've past this room three times already."

"I just wanted to see if I missed anything." Link stubbornly insisted.

"Link we both know that this room's empty." Navi flew around all four corners of the room to demonstrate her point.

"Well it's not my fault. Who built this place anyways? Who builds a maze underwater?" Link ranted as he went though another room.

"Zoras. Also it's a temple, Link."

Link sighed. "That was a rhetorical question."

Navi snorted and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Link demanded, his face turning red.

"It's funny because you didn't even know what rhetorical meant until I explained it to you."

"Shut up, that was 7 years ago."

"It only feels like a few days ago." Navi pointed out.

Link sighed. "Yeah I know. Anyways this door looks new. Lets try that."

Stepping through the door they found a waterfall with moving platforms. The rush of water and the grinding of the platform mechanisms filled the room and emptied it of silence. Looking down, Link could see a drop below the waterfall which seemed to be endless.

"This...is quite impressive, I'll give them that." Link said as he used his hookshot to climb up the moving platforms to the next door.

The next room was equally interesting and after solving its puzzle involving yet another switch (what was it with this temple and switches?) and the raising and lowering of water, Link reached another door.

"I'm tired of all these rooms Navi." Link moaned as he opened the door to an almost empty room, apart from a dead tree in the centre and some ruins here and there. The room was filled with shallow water and seemed to never end. Link walked through the room to the door at the other end, but suddenly bars came down over both doors with a clang and Link turned around. He was trapped.

"There must be some way to open this. Look around Link." Navi suggested.

Link walked over to the tree. There was something in the water. Something dark was moving. He bend down for a closer look and suddenly a hand grabbed his throat from under the water. Link struggled as the hand tried to choke him, but it suddenly let go. Link watched in horror as a dark figure emerged from the water. A dark figure with glowing red eyes who looked like...him. He was black all other but as he emerged his skin turned a ghostly light grey.

"Who...what are you?" Link asked as he drew his sword, as his opponent did the same. He was surprised when his own voice answered him.

"The name's Dark Link. You can call me Dark." They began to circle each other, weapons ready. "Do you mind if I ask you a question, hero?" Dark said mockingly and full of venom.

Link ran forward and his blade clashed against Dark's. Dark had reacted with perfect timing. "Have you killed things before? Monsters?" Dark continued as he copied Link's every move.

"Don't listen to him Link." Navi said, safely hovering above the fighting.

Dark ignored Navi as he forced Link on the ground, their swords locked against each other.

"What does it feel like?" Dark whispered as he put his face an inch away from Link's own, so he could see the fear in the hero's eyes. "To take a life?"

Link growled and managed to force Dark off him, who jumped back to avoid Link's sword.

"The thing to consider really, hero is what am I really?" Dark persisted as he dodged yet another blow and jumped onto of Link's blade. "Am I you?" He backflipped off the blade with ease. "Or am I just another monster? Will it matter if you kill me?"

Link hesitated for a moment. Dark used this opportunity to slide his blade along Link's side. For some reason they both cried out in pain. Dark and Link looked in confusion at the blood on Dark's side. Dark's eyes widened in realisation. "Of course." He muttered through gritted teeth.

He shook it off and their fight continued, but Dark seemed disheartened and Link got in more hits than before. Every time Dark cut Link, the same cut would appear on his own body. It didn't help that Link drank a red potion to heal his wounds, while dark's were left to bleed. Soon Dark found himself on the floor, his blood turning the water around him red. He clutched the large wound in his chest and tried to get up but fell down again. He could hear foot steps and he looked up to see Link approaching, sword in hand.

Dark waited for the impact, he closed his eyes. This was it. The foot steps stopped. Dark opened his eyes. Link stood above his shadow, a look of pity of his face. He offered the shadow a hand.

"I...I don't understand." Dark said, pain clearly evident in his voice.

"I want to help, just take my hand."

"Link are you crazy?! He tried to kill you!" Navi protested.

"I know but it's not fair to strike him while he's like this."

Dark weakly pushed Link's hand away. "J...just leave m...me or kill me. I...if you don't Ganon will." Dark could feel himself start to lose consciousness and was finding it hard to speak.

"He won't." Without waiting for an answer Link pulled dark up and half supported, half carried him. "How do we get out of here?"

"I've l..lost so it sh..should open." Almost instantly the illusion of the room melted away and it was no longer endless and the ruins and tree vanished. The bars over the doors opened.

"Ok, don't pass out on me Dark. I'm getting you out of here."

"Link you can't..." Navi started to say.  
Link cut her off."Watch me." He walked out of the room determinedly. The rest of the temple was a blur to the semi-conscious shadow, who only stayed awake due to Link's constant talking to him (which was very unusual for the hero, who hardly spoke at all). He finally passed out after Link lent him against a wall outside the boss room, muttering a quick "I'll be back." before disappearing through the door. Dark closed his eyes and slumped further down the wall, awaiting the hero's return.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own the Legend of Zelda

Dark awoke in a bed that he did not recognise. Why would he recognise it? He had never slept in a bed in his life, he always slept in that old tree or curled up on the damp floor. Where was he? The room was small but comfortable with simple wooden tried to sit up but fell back against his pillows, wincing. Suddenly, memories of the day before flooded his mind and he sat up in shock. Freedom...of course the only freedom that Ganon promised him was death, but was where he was now? Was this freedom? Did the hero keep his word and get him out? Or was this all some kind of dream?

As if in answer the door opened and Link came in, holding a tray. "You're awake, that's good."

"It's Link isn't it?" Dark was sure that was what the fairy had called the hero. Link nodded. "Where am I?"

"At an inn. I thought it would be a good place for you to rest while you recovered." His voice was low and kind.

Dark touched his chest. His black tunic and shirt were missing and his wounds were bandaged with care. Link set the tray down on a bedside table.

"How long have I been out?" Dark wondered out loud.

"Not long, just since yesterday."

Dark took a moment to process this information. "Why did you take me here?"

"As I said it's a good place for you to recover." He poured a jug of water into a cup as he spoke.

"Why do you care?"

Link looked him in the eye. "I just do and anyway it's the right thing to do."

"Oh." No one had ever been kind to Dark before and he wasn't sure how to react to it.

Link passed him a bottle filled with a red liquid. "What's this?" Dark asked as he eyed it suspiciously.

"A potion, it'll make you feel better." Link insisted.

Dark looked skeptical as he downed it in one, leaving a bad taste in his mouth. It did seem to work though. He felt his pain lessen slightly.

"Here." Link handed him the water which he took gratefully.

Link sat on the end of the bed. "So do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"If you have to."

Link asked what had been on his mind ever since their fight."What are you?"

Dark laughed bitterly. "I don't know really, I'm no one. Why don't you try asking Ganon?"

Link sighed. "Ok let's try something else. Why were you in the water temple?"

"Ganon left me there when he made me seven years ago." Dark frowned darkly. "My purpose was to kill you but I didn't know that Ganon had rigged it to kill me too. He doesn't seem to like any lose ends."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Rigged it?"

Dark nodded. "He must have used some kind of curse so when you get hurt so do I. Maybe I can break it after I kill him."

Link was shocked. "Kill him? But I thought he made you?"  
Dark shrugged. "So? I don't like getting told what to do. I only wanted to get out that room, now I'm free it's time for some revenge."

"At least that means we don't have to be enemies." Link passed Dark a bowl of soup.

Dark looked at the bowl curiously with his head tilted to one side. "What's this?"

"Haven't you ever had soup before?" Link asked.

Dark shook his head. "I've lived in one room all my life and it didn't have any soup."

Link laughed a little. "Eat it, it's good."

Dark ignored the spoon and drank the soup straight from the bowl. Link waited for him to finish before putting the bowl back on the tray.

"Where's your fairy?"

"You mean Navi? She's outside, she didn't want to come in here for some reason." Navi wasn't very happy that Link had decided to take care of Dark. She didn't trust him.

"Alright well Link it looks like I'm coming with you." Dark tried to get up again but Link gently pushed him back into bed.

"You can't."

"But I need to. We both want the same thing and besides I have to make sure you don't get me killed."

Link sighed as he gave in. "Ok, I'm not gonna go anywhere until you feel better though."

"Fine." Dark reluctantly agreed as Link picked up his tray. "I don't feel that bad though." He said unconvincingly.

"I'll be back later." Link said as he left the room.

"Hey Link what took you so long?" Navi asked as he returned the tray to the inn's kitchen.

"We were just talking. He's coming with us when he's well enough."  
"Link do you ever listen to me? He can't be trusted." She flew around him in an attempt to make him listen.

Link ignored her. He was actually starting to really like Dark and Dark was starting to like him too. Maybe having someone else around would make things easier, after all two swords was always better than one.


End file.
